1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tablet cassette for a medicine packing machine, and more particularly, to a tablet cassette for a medicine packing machine capable of easily releasing lodged tablets without damage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a medicine packing machine is an apparatus for receiving tablets from a tablet cassette and a tablet discharging device according to medicines and for continuously dosing the tablets.
An example of the above-described conventional tablet packing machine will now be described with reference to FIG. 12.
As illustrated in FIG. 12, the medicine packing machine includes a plurality of tablet cassettes 100 in a shelf positioned in an upper portion, a tablet discharging device 200 in a lower portion, a hopper 300 below the tablet cassettes 100 and the tablet discharging device 200, and a sealing portion 500 for transferring the packing paper, printed upon by a printer 400, to seal the packing paper.
The structure and operation of the conventional tablet cassettes provided in the conventional medicine packing machine will now be described with reference to FIG. 13.
As illustrated in FIG. 13, the conventional tablet cassette includes a cassette 101 receiving tablets are received and having a passage 102 formed at a lower side thereof, a cassette support 103 in which the cassette 101 is detachably installed to the upper side of the cassette support 103 and which has an inclined passage 104 communicated with the passage 102 at one side thereof, and a discharge driver 105 provided in the cassette 101 and the cassette support 103.
The discharge driver 105 includes a rotating body 108 having a plurality of divisional protrusions 106 formed on the outer circumference thereof and step-shaped jaws 107 formed on the upper surface thereof at regular intervals, and a driving motor 109 for rotating the rotating body 108 in a forward direction. The tablets received in the cassette 101 climb over the jaws 107 due to the rotation of the rotating body 108 caused by the driving of the driving motor 109 and are received in thein spaces between the divisional protrusions 106 while sliding along the upper surface of the rotating body 108, one by one, to be discharged through the passage 102 and the inclined passage 104.
The plurality of tablets are mixed with each other to be lodged in a state where the tablets are stacked in the space between the rotating body and the inner surface of the cassette above the upper side of the divisional protrusions due to the driving of the driving motor.
Also, since the rotating body continuously rotates due to the driving of the driving motor in a state where the tablets are lodged, the tablets are sandwiched in the space between the rotating body and the inner surface of the cassette due to the rotary force such that the tablets are easily damaged.
Although the damaged tablets are discharged, the tablets' powder remains in the cassette such that the powder is mixed with other tablets. Since the tablets are lodged, the normal discharge of the tablets is interrupted.